Materials Development Project Leader

Cranleigh STEM & Sustainability Recruitment; Croydon; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

International travel

Job summary

Cranleigh STEM & Sustainability Recruitment is seeking a Materials Development Project Leader to drive international materials development programmes across high‑performance product applications, from early R&D through testing, scale‑up and launch with cross‑functional teams worldwide.

You will bring a strong Materials Science/Engineering or Polymer background, lead diverse supplier and manufacturing partners, and coordinate cross‑border projects with regular travel including China.

Qualifications

• 5+ years' industrial materials development experience.
• Degree in Materials Science, Materials Engineering, Chemistry, or Polymer Science.
• Experience with polymers, polyurethane, elastomers, foams or rubbers.
• Experience leading or coordinating R&D development projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead materials development projects and own timelines, milestones and technical deliverables.
• Coordinate R&D, testing, engineering, manufacturing, sourcing and supply chain teams.
• Work with international materials suppliers and development partners.
• Review experimental plans and technical data to guide project decisions.
• Support troubleshooting and root-cause analysis.
• Ensure materials meet performance, cost and manufacturability requirements.
• Support projects through scale-up and production.
• Travel to China approximately once per quarter, typically for 7-10 days.

Skills

Materials development

Project leadership

Cross-functional teams

Supplier & manufacturing exposure

International collaboration

Education

Materials Science/Engineering/Polymer

Job description

We’re supporting an innovative materials technology business looking for a Materials Development Project Leader to lead the delivery of international materials development programmes across high-performance product applications.

This is a materials-led project role, suited to someone with a strong Materials Science, Materials Engineering, Chemistry or Polymer background who has developed their career within industrial R&D/materials development and is looking to take greater ownership of technical projects.

The Role

You’ll lead materials development projects from early-stage R&D through testing, scale-up, pre-production and launch, working with technical teams, suppliers and manufacturing partners across the UK, Europe, USA and Asia.

Projects cover a range of applications including impact protection, military and sports helmets, performance footwear, tactical equipment and protective clothing.

Responsibilities will include:

• Leading materials development projects and owning timelines, milestones and technical deliverables
• Coordinating R&D, testing, engineering, manufacturing, sourcing and supply chain teams
• Working with international materials suppliers and development partners
• Reviewing experimental plans and technical data to guide project decisions
• Supporting troubleshooting and root-cause analysis
• Ensuring materials meet performance, cost and manufacturability requirements
• Supporting projects through scale-up and production
• Travelling to China approximately once per quarter, typically for 7-10 days

About You

We’re looking for someone with:

• 5+ years' industrial materials development experience
• Degree in Materials Science, Materials Engineering, Chemistry, Polymer Science or similar
• Experience with polymers, polyurethane, TPEs, elastomers, foams, rubbers or related materials
• Experience leading or coordinating materials/R&D development projects
• Supplier and manufacturing exposure
• Strong technical and commercial problem-solving skills
• Confidence coordinating cross-functional and international teams

You don't need to be a career Project Manager. This could be a great next step for an experienced Materials Scientist, Materials Engineer or Materials Development Engineer who has already taken ownership of projects and wants to move further into project leadership.

Working pattern:

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday onsite in South London, with flexibility to work remotely Monday and Friday.